Narrative:

Approach clearance was stadium visibility to 24R lax. Broken cloud layer at about 5000'. Both navigation radios were turned to smo until we turned base at 9 DME. Then #1 navigation was tuned to localizer for 24R. When we turned base, traffic was reported for us to follow which distracted us both and I did not set the localizer course in my HSI. We began the dogleg as published using #2 navigation for the smo 084 degree right. We saw our traffic and were switched to runway 24L at about the same time, but both of us were fully VFR at this point and fixated on the south complex at lax and I overshot 24L completely, lining up for 25L. We were given a heading correction back to 24L and landed. It is too easy to make this mistake when visibility and I will never fly this approach again west/O the localizer tuned and the course properly set while downwind, or if navaids are unavailable for some reason, I will positively identify all 4 runways before lining up for an approach. Supplemental information from acn 146922: after landing we determined that captain's course selector was set on reciprocal to inbound course giving us reverse sensing. Situation was extremely busy. ATC changed our runway at last minute. Procedure requires navigation radios to be tuned to different frequency, so no backup localizer guidance is available until short final. South complex runway lights were much brighter than north complex lights which helped us to assume south complex was north complex. Since we assumed that coming in from northeast that the north complex lights would be in view first. Procedure (stadium visibility) should not be flown at night in marginal VFR with north complex lights much dimmer than south complex.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT CREW LINES UP WRONG SET OF RWYS ON VISUAL APCH.

Narrative: APCH CLRNC WAS STADIUM VIS TO 24R LAX. BROKEN CLOUD LAYER AT ABOUT 5000'. BOTH NAV RADIOS WERE TURNED TO SMO UNTIL WE TURNED BASE AT 9 DME. THEN #1 NAV WAS TUNED TO LOC FOR 24R. WHEN WE TURNED BASE, TFC WAS RPTED FOR US TO FOLLOW WHICH DISTRACTED US BOTH AND I DID NOT SET THE LOC COURSE IN MY HSI. WE BEGAN THE DOGLEG AS PUBLISHED USING #2 NAV FOR THE SMO 084 DEG R. WE SAW OUR TFC AND WERE SWITCHED TO RWY 24L AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, BUT BOTH OF US WERE FULLY VFR AT THIS POINT AND FIXATED ON THE S COMPLEX AT LAX AND I OVERSHOT 24L COMPLETELY, LINING UP FOR 25L. WE WERE GIVEN A HDG CORRECTION BACK TO 24L AND LANDED. IT IS TOO EASY TO MAKE THIS MISTAKE WHEN VIS AND I WILL NEVER FLY THIS APCH AGAIN W/O THE LOC TUNED AND THE COURSE PROPERLY SET WHILE DOWNWIND, OR IF NAVAIDS ARE UNAVAILABLE FOR SOME REASON, I WILL POSITIVELY IDENT ALL 4 RWYS BEFORE LINING UP FOR AN APCH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 146922: AFTER LNDG WE DETERMINED THAT CAPT'S COURSE SELECTOR WAS SET ON RECIPROCAL TO INBND COURSE GIVING US REVERSE SENSING. SITUATION WAS EXTREMELY BUSY. ATC CHANGED OUR RWY AT LAST MINUTE. PROC REQUIRES NAV RADIOS TO BE TUNED TO DIFFERENT FREQ, SO NO BACKUP LOC GUIDANCE IS AVAILABLE UNTIL SHORT FINAL. S COMPLEX RWY LIGHTS WERE MUCH BRIGHTER THAN N COMPLEX LIGHTS WHICH HELPED US TO ASSUME S COMPLEX WAS N COMPLEX. SINCE WE ASSUMED THAT COMING IN FROM NE THAT THE N COMPLEX LIGHTS WOULD BE IN VIEW FIRST. PROC (STADIUM VIS) SHOULD NOT BE FLOWN AT NIGHT IN MARGINAL VFR WITH N COMPLEX LIGHTS MUCH DIMMER THAN S COMPLEX.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.